get fit // Tone It Up: BIKINI SERIES

After our chilly, snowy winter (AKA my excuse to hibernate), I'm ready to get back into shape.  To be honest, I don't like not working out and/or eating healthy.  It makes me feel not great... specifically sluggish, self conscience and moody.  That's definitely not how I want to be, so for these reasons and more I'm jumping back in.

Over the past several weeks I've been starting to go for walk/runs again and doing toning exercises (using some DVDs that I own, but mostly videos on YouTube). In my search of good toning and interval training workouts on YouTube, I found Tone It Up.  TIU is a brand of fitness products, support community, DVDs, nutrition plans and workouts created by two best friends, Katrina Hodgson and Karena Dawn, who are Certified Personal Trainers and Nutrition Coaches.  Their goal is to help motivate and inspire women to get healthy and feel healthy, and to make it as uncomplicated as possible.

After trying a couple of their workouts and being too sore to sit... or walk... or just bend in general... the day after, I was hooked.  Luckily, nutrition is already one of my favorite things to research about, so I already have that knowledge... I just need to follow it more regularly, like I used to. Now, all I need is a fitness program to follow so I can effectively reach my toning goals.  I was lucky that at about the same time I was pondering all of this, TIU announced that they would be starting their annual #BIKINISERIES 8 week program in April.  

So here I am, signed up and ready to go.  

If you're like me and you just want a little "free" fitness structure to follow (in the comfort and privacy of your own home) you may want to consider joining in the #BIKINISERIES program, as well.  If that's not enough, the before and after pics of the TIU community members may motivate you to get moving. 

If you're interested, the program starts Monday, April 13th and includes...

8 Weeks of daily challenges & motivation,

FREE Weekly Workout videos on ToneItUp.com,

Weekly Prizes & Grand Prizes to Playa Del Carmen,

and more!

** Do keep in mind that while the workouts are no charge, 

they do offer optional, very detailed nutrition plans for a one time fee. **

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 I've been getting ready with their Easter week schedule of workouts, including some from last year's BIKINI SERIES, and thought I'd share a few of my favorites that definitely make you "feel the burn".  

Enjoy!!

BIKINI SERIES ☀ Inner & Outer Thighs Routine!

Bikini ARMS Routine! BIKINI SERIES ☀

Bikini Abs Routine! BIKINI SERIES ☀

I also love me some HIIT (High Intensity Interval Training) workouts, so here's a great one for that...

Love Your Body™ with HIIT! High Intensity Interval Training

 Let me know if you have a favorite TIU workout and/or if you're signing up for the 2015 BIKINI SERIES.  

Let's do it together!!

 

I am no way being paid or compensated to endorse Tone It Up or any of it's affiliates, I'm just pumped about this program and excited to share with others.  :)

haul // Vitacost & Lucky Vitamin

If you're not familiar with Vitacost, it's a website that sells a large selection of discounted beauty & personal care, health & wellness, food, and home products, most of which are natural.  They often have sales and if you belong to Ebates, they offer 4% cash back when you shop on Vitacost.com.  Vitacost also offers free shipping for orders over $49.  Since I only buy from there every two months or so, I definitely meet that threshold. Lucky Vitamin is a similar website that sells many of the same things as Vitacost, but also some that differ... hence, why I made an order from both.

If you missed it, I shared my first Vitacost order here.  Again, I enjoy seeing what other people purchase, so I thought I'd share what I buy in case anyone out there is as nosy as I am.  ;)  And I also think it's a quick way to get some ideas on new things to try.

You may see a few repeats, but I have quite a few newbies in here as well.  Okay, let's get started with the items from Vitacost!

[ from left to right ]

1. Devita Age Defying Moisturizer - 2.5 fl oz - $19.99 - I've previously used the Devita Solar Protective Moisturizer SPF 30, which is a really nice moisturizer for day, so I figured this would be a great am or pm moisturizer.  It's light and a bit more sheer than the Solar option.  I can't really comment for the "Age Defying" part yet, but so far I really like it.  I've been using it in the mornings since it's wintery & cloudy most days right now.  If you're looking for a light moisturizer without sunscreen that has fantastic natural ingredients, give this a try.

2. Acure Organics Argan Oil - 1 fl oz - $6.99 - First off, what a great price, especially since they sell this at Target and health food stores for $11-$12.  I have previously used Josie Maran Argan Oil and liked it just fine, but it's $16 for .5 fl oz... yeah, that's a lot.  So after finishing the JM one I went in search of a better option on Vitacost... and this is what I settled on.  It's still organic and has all the wonderful skin/hair benefits, but with a much better price tag.  I have replaced my jojoba oil, am & pm, with this Argan oil for about the last 2 months (I have already gone through 2 of these!) and now use it just at night after I cleanse and apply serum.  My skin drinks it up and I feel like my skin texture is smoother and more plump.

3. Kiss My Face Creamy Face Cleanser Clean For A Day - 4 fl oz - $9.69 - I had heard several natural beauty bloggers mention this cleanser, one of which is Shannon Sullivan, and rave about it.  Now I can see why.  It has pure and organic ingredients, is super gentle and smells like a creamsicle! I have been using this in the morning with my new Dr. Sponge (see below) and the combo leaves my face feeling amazing.  It's clean, but not tight or squeaky. I don't use this at night so I can't say, but it supposedly removes make up too.

4. Aura Cacia Nourishing Organic Cocoa Butter - 4 fl oz - $5.29 - I purchased this item to use in my DIY recipes, specifically my homemade deodorant (which I will be sharing shortly!). It's 100% organic, certified fair trade and deeply nourishing for skin, plus it smells like chocolate!

5. Heritage Products Rose Petals Rosewater Body Splash - 8 fl oz - $5.99 - This was my third fourth time purchasing this rose water, becasue I LOVE it so much.  It smells great (if you like roses) and it moisturizes my skin so well.  It really drinks it up.  I spray this on my face after cleansing and after applying my mineral makeup.  I also spray it on during the day if my face is feeling parched or my makeup is looking a little dry.

6. Nourish Tea Organic Happy Matcha - 80 g - $22.49 - I have been wanting to try matcha green tea for some time.  I'm not sure what held me back but, after talking to a friend who had just started to drink it and loves it, I decided to give it a try.  And, whadda ya know, I love it too!  It's creamier than my regular loose-leaf green tea and a much deeper green.  This brand is 100% organic and also very finely ground so there is no grittiness what-so-ever.  I love that I'm now getting the full benefits of the leaf. 

7. Andalou Naturals Turmeric plus C Enlighten Serum Brightening - 1.1 fl oz - $19.99 - This is another one of those products I have seen several natural vloggers talk about.  Brianna from iluvjesse444 mentioned how it has helped clear her face of excess redness.  Well, I have the same issue and it has some amazing ingredients, so I thought I'd see what it can do for me.  I apply it am & pm right after cleansing and before moisturizing. 

8. NuNaturals Pure Liquid™ Clear Stevia™ Glass Bottle - 2 fl oz - $9.49 - This is now my fourth time ordering this.  I've completely switched from stevia packets (unless I need to bring it with me) to this clear liquid stevia.  I use it in my tea, oatmeal, homemade jam and in baking.  It works great and there is no bitter aftertaste. 

9. Acure Organics Brightening Facial Scrub Sea Kelp plus Chlorella Growth Factor - 4 oz - $7.89 - Okay, I don't want to be redundant, but this was another product that got great reviews on YouTube.  I'm kind of a facial scrub snob, if you will.  A scrub must have a lot of very fine granules for me to use it more than once.  I don't care for those scrubs that have only a few granule bits here and there or the ones with soft exfoliating spheres (seriously, we know they don't do anything to dry skin bits).  So when this one got so much attention and I heard someone describe it to my liking, I had to give it a go.  I've only used it twice so far, but I really like it.  Besides the awesome green color and the great health benefits of the ingredients, it also feels more like the scrubs I desire.  I plan to use it about 2 times a week, so we'll see if it helps to deep clean and brighten my face.

10. Honey Gardens Organic Raw Honey - 16 0z - $13.09 - Well.  To be completely honest, I ordered this honey because my fav {Madhava Natural Sweeteners Organic Very Raw Honey} was out of stock. :( But I have to say this one is also raw, organic and very tasty.  I mostly use it for washing my face, so this one seemed a good second choice.  Since ordering this though, I have stopped washing my face with honey and only use it in DIY masks.  I think when I finish this jar I want to try real Manuka Honey for it's even more amazing health benefits.

 11. Nature's Way Alive!® Once Daily Women's Multi-Vitamin Ultra Potency - 60 Tablets - $10.99 - I've been taking these for around a year now and I love them.  I've actually lost track of how many I've ordered.  If you're looking for a natural whole food vitamin that isn't too expensive, try this one out.

11. Vitacost Extra Virgin Certified Organic Coconut Oil (Non-GMO) - 54 oz - $23.99 - I LOVE this coconut oil.  We use so much in cooking and personal care that I like to get the largest size I can, especially since coconut oil has pretty much an infinite shelf life.  After trying several other brands I found this one on Vitacost and haven't purchased anything else since (it also lasts forever, this is only our second one).  It's unrefined, organic and non-GMO, which is what I look for in my oils.  It's also a great price, considering others I've tried were about $10 for 16 oz.

12. Andalou Naturals 1000 roses Rosewater mask Sensitive - 1.7 fl oz - $11.96 - This is another new item I've heard great things about.  I have dry, sensitive skin, especially during the winter.  Sometimes I feel like I could use a hydrating mask, as opposed to a clarifying one, so I decided to give this a try.  I'm glad I did, it makes my skin so smooth and plump.  Plus, it smells subtley of roses and has a fun whipped texture.

 

Okay, now for the items from Lucky Vitamin...

[ from left to right ]

 

1. NOW Foods Rose Hip Seed Oil - 1 oz - $4.48 - I purchased this to use in an all natural beauty DIY that I hope to share on here soon. 

2. Dr. Bronners Magic Pure Castile Soap Organic Rose - 16 oz - $9.89 - I've been purchasing Dr. Bronner's castile soaps for years now, they are great.  I jut ran out of my lavender scent (the peppermint is wonderful too) and have been wanting to try the rose, so I got it!  I use this stuff quite a bit... as a hand soap and in DIY cleaners, but there are many more uses out there.

3. YS Organic Bee Farms - Fresh Bee Pollen Whole Granules - 16 oz - $16.89 - I recently read about bee pollen and it's role in treating allergies when taken orally (among other things) and thought I would give it try.  I have terrible seasonal allergies and would love to lessen there blow to my system.  I've just started working my way up to the recommended dosage, so I'll let you know what I think after I have been taking it for a bit.

4. LuckyVitamin Natural Vitamin E 200 IU - 100 Softgels - $6.99 - I also purchased this for a beauty DIY, coming soon!

5. Giovanni - Shampoo Colorflage Daily Color Defense Perfectly Platinum - 8.5 oz -  $6.07 - A couple of weeks ago, I ran out of the violet shampoo I have been using for the past few years.  It was not a natural brand and have been planning to find a more natural option once it ran out... problem was, it was a huge bottle I got in a sale at Ulta years ago and the frugal side of me couldn't throw it away until it was done.  Anyhow, I ran across this Giovanni option and decided to give it a try.  It's still not the most natural but it's not nearly as toxic as the previous one I was using (according to the EWG's cosmetic database).  

6. Dr. Sponge - Konjac Facial Sponge Original - 0.3 oz - $7.88 - I know I'm starting to sound like a broken record, but this was another item I had heard several vloggers talk about.  Most mentioned that it was a plant-based facial sponge that gave extra gentle exfoliation.  With my dry skin, I feel like I need to exfoliate daily, but my Clarisonic or even a washcloth was a bit too harsh for that, so I was all about trying this.  I will say that after using it every morning for the past two weeks, I don't ever want to be without this sponge... ever. again.

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 Well, that was everything!  Again, I hope you enjoyed this kind of post.  If you have any questions about anything I've shown here, please leave me a comment below and I'd be happy to give you more of my thoughts!

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Websites like Vitacost & Lucky Vitamin have the best selection of vitamins, herbs, supplements I have found.  Better yet, they offer discounts of up to 75% on over 30,000 items, and free shipping on orders over $49.

If you're interested in placing an order with Vitacost and/or Lucky Vitamin, feel free to use my links below:

 Vitacost - save $10 off you first purchase! 
Lucky Vitamin


And if you'd like to sign up for Ebates please use my friend referral link.

review // Pacifica Stellar Gaze Length & Strength Mineral Mascara

Mascara is probably (in my opinion) one of the harder types of makeup to find in a natural form.  Don't get me wrong there are quite a bit out there, but since giving up by Maybelline Great Lash, I hadn't had the best luck... until this one from Pacifica.  As you might know, I've tried 100% Pure's Fruit Pigmented Mascara, which was pretty good, but I've also tried Honeybee Gardens Mascara, which was terrible (in my opinion).  When you're used to commercial mascaras performing like a dream because of the inclusion of chemicals that make them more fluid, permanent, plumping, non-clumping, etc. it's hard to find a natural version that performs just as well (and one that doesn't cost an arm and a leg...and a foot).  I'm okay with sacrificing a little in order to use a better-for-you product, but I do have my limits.

I've been a fan of Pacifica products for a while now, especially their perfumes and body products.  So during one of my [frequent] outings to Target when I saw Pacifica started a makeup line, I had to give it a try. I actually picked up several items including their Stellar Gaze Length & Strength Mineral Mascara. And yes, I got it in both brown and black.  

PACKAGING

These mascaras come in some super cute packaging. They have white metal/plastic tubes with a fun blue and gold swirly design on the outside and the wand is a plush 100% vegan brush (which I generally prefer over plastic molded wands). I will mention that the little black stopper that the brush pulls through when opening the mascara popped out in one of them, but I pushed it back in and it hasn't done that again. This is also a shorter wand than other mascaras I have tried and I actually like it.  I feel like I have better control when applying to my lashes. Even though I am a fan, I have a feeling that some people may not like this feature, especially if you are used to a longer wand.

PRODUCT

Pacifica's Stellar Gaze Length & Strength Mineral Mascara is "infused with coconut oil and vitamin B to hydrate each lash as it lengthens, strengthens and adds volume." It is 100% vegan, cruelty-free and formulated without FD & C color, parabens, talc and mineral oil. 

Yay, yay and more yay! These additives can be major irritants, especially to people with sensitive skin or allergies.  Some have also been linked to major health issues, so avoiding these kind of ingredients is a top priority for me. 

Supernova is the black color and stardust is the brown.  I will say that the black is more dramatic on the lashes, especially if you have brown lashes to start with.  For me both show up, but I save the brown for casual days when I run errands, etc.  Supernova is my go-to for work and going out.  I usually apply two coats of whichever I am using.  The formula is the same for both colors, smooth and creamy, and coats my lashes without clumping.  In combo with the brush, the formula separates and lengthens my lashes nicely.  After the second coat (and sometimes a third) they look a bit more voluminous as well.  Check out the images below - top to bottom - bare lashes, Stardust (2 coats) and Supernova (2 coats) .

I don't get any fallout or smudging from this mascara.  If I have it on when I work out or in the rain I might see a bit of transfer since it is not waterproof, but day to day normal wear does not cause this. I also love how my lashes don't get that crunchy feeling as with other mascaras, they feel natural and soft.  I assume this is from the moisturizing addition of the coconut oil. 

It has a slight scent that does not linger after application, a bit like clay or minerals (if you've ever used mineral makeup then you know what I'm talking about).  And my eyes never itch while wearing this mascara like with some others.
 

I have no problem removing this mascara at the end of the day.  I still use the oil cleansing method to do so and it washes off cleanly leaving no residue.

Ingredients: Aqua, glycerin (vegetable), glyceryl stearate se, jojoba esters, tapioca starch, stearic acid ( vegetable), copernicia cerfera (carnauba) wax, euphorbia cerifera (candelilla) wax, arabic/acacia gum, acrylates, crosspolymer, potassium cetyl phosphate, microcrystalline cellulse (plant), cocos nucifera (coconut) oil, panthenol (vitamin b), cellulose gum, gluconolactone, macrocystis pyifera (brown kelp) extract, hydrolyzed oryza sativa (rice) protein, sodium benzoate, iron oxides c1 77499.

PRICING 
 
$ out of $$$
You get .30 fl oz for $14.00.  This is a low to mid-range price for a natural mascara.  There are some [that I'd love to try] that are $23 (.23 fl oz) and $42 (.20 fl oz).  So comparatively, this is a steal.  This might be a good one to try if you're just starting to transition from mainstream to natural cosmetics.

PURCHASING

You can purchase this mascara on Pacifica.com, target.com, beauty.com, vitacost.com, Amazon and iherb.com and more.

CONCLUSION 
 
While this is not the most "natural" mascara out there, overall, this has been the best one I have tried in terms of both performance and price.  I'm still on the search for one that might be better while still at a decent price, but I'd definitely purchase this Pacifica mascara again (Supernova).  And actually, they have now come out with a water-resistant mascara that I may have to try as well!

Let me know if you've tried Pacifica's mascara and what you think, or if you have any other natural mascara suggestions.  I'd love to hear your feedback!